by Emily Wemhoff

“Everyone is doing it.” “It’s a safe drug.” “It won’t do anything to me.”

Marijuana use has become a casual topic in the United States. With the legalization of the drug in two states, people everywhere are showing less disapproval of marijuana use. It The percentage of American high school students who smoke marijuana is slowly rising, while the use of alcohol and almost every other drug is falling. However, even though it has become casual, there are plenty of misconceptions about marijuana.

“Everyone is doing it.” Although it sometimes feels as if everyone around you is making unhealthy decisions, roughly 9.6% of high schoolers are using marijuana. There has been an increase in recent years, but this still does not mean “everyone is doing it.” There is no need to give in to peer pressure, when about nine out of 10 of your friends are not using it.

“It’s a safe drug.” About 60 percent of high school seniors said they did not view regular marijuana use as harmful, up from about 55 percent last year. However, teenagers often do not know about the lasting effects on thinking and memory that marijuana causes.Marijuana smoke is also an irritant to the lungs and can cause much of the same respiratory problems experienced by tobacco smokers. Associations have also been found between marijuana use and other mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and personality disturbances, including a lack of motivation.

“It won’t do anything to me.” We hear all the time about how marijuana is a gateway drug, yet hardly anyone listens. Contrary to common belief, marijuana is addictive. Estimates from research by the National Institute on Drug Abuse suggests that about nine percent of users become addicted to marijuana; this number increases among those who start young to about 17 percent. Marijuana can also cause problems in daily life. Heavy marijuana users generally report lower life satisfaction, poorer mental and physical health, more relationship problems, and less academic and career success

Before you make assumptions, learn the facts about marijuana. Next time you are pressured and facing a decision, consider the harmful effects.